under another sun

Writing my story this morning, quite a good session and it is shaping up well. Lorraine doing lots of things today, going to her personal trainer, and visiting Sarah in Bolney, and going to see Coílín the dentist. Lorraine liked her lots too, and she was nice about me. She is certainly the most charming dentist I know. In the afternoon, I walked along the sea to splash point, and saw a seal there, and also fell into conversation with a man who said the birds were kittiwakes, and you could tell them by their cries. He was a bit older than me, perhaps, and said that he moved here when he was about four, and loves the place. Obviously spoiled by time and so on. He told me about how the level of pebbles and shingle had been raised all along the coast here in the 1980s by dredging.  I then walked by the side of the golf course, and up a woody path to the top of Seaford Head, falling into conversation again with another old geezer walking a dog. Once on top, I walked by the side of the h...

So up and fiddling with photos and generally doing my stuff this morning.  Breakfast with Lorraine, who went off this afternoon to Rosie's mum Susan's celebration of life.  I sent my love to Rosie by text. I went to see Coílín my dentist. Was a tad early, so stood by the sea for a bit. The sun, breaking through briefly, was beautiful and compelled me to snap it. But another old school English April day, being cold and wet. I like her very much although I had to tell her that her root and branch cleaning had made one of my teeth very sensitive. She x-rayed it and pronounced it sound, and then later put fluoride on it which she said would help with the sensitivity. She deep cleaned the other side, which was much easier and by the end of the day, I felt generally much happier all round in the mouth department, and my sensitive tooth a lot less wince inducing, and my smile slightly brighter. Then to London to see Mum. At Lewes saw a bunch of rooks and a jackdaw on the edge of the ...

Sore throat, sinuses, nose mouth etc. Woke up wanly and phoned the dentist to ask if this would prevent me from having my dental appointment. Luckily it did not. Lorraine of course far worse, wretched and unable to eat. She got a little better during the day, but is still far from well. Phoned mum this morning. Pat and Maureen who were as good as gold in their extra holiday, and I did them toasties for lunch and sausages and mash for dinner. Lorraine struggled down a bit of mashed potato this evening, and was able to sit up in the lounge.  Out in Seaford queued outside the pharmacy for ages with snowy haired elders: my tribe. The dentist appointment was delayed, so I did the food shopping.   Half my mouth deep cleaned. It cost an arm and a leg. Lots of injections and surgery level cleansing for at least half an hour.  Cóilín  told me this the deepest clean I would ever need, throwing shade on that cowboy Lucinda on Strand on the Green.  Part two the week after n...

Up at seven and full of cheer to be at my desk in my tidy office. Calliope slotting into her shelf below the desktop for a sleep. Did some writing on and off all day, both prose and poetry. Lorraine off to her personal trainer, and then to Ashford to see Pat and Maureen and take Pat to the memory clinic. I spoke to Mum, and then went to my first dental appointment with a new dentist in 30 years. Felt slightly apprehensive in the waiting room that Lucinda wasn't waiting for me on the other side of the door. My new dentist, however, is a lovely Irish woman called Cóilín -- who, when I said my age, told me I could have been in my 40s, which naturally went down a treat. She was very thorough and pleasant, and visiting her was far better than repeating the big schlep off to Strand on the Green now that I rarely have cause to visit west London. She said my teeth were fine, but I had a little inflammation in my gums. We had been talking before she started digging around, and she said that...

Up early to do some writing, but immediately put off my stroke by Calliope. She had not moved from the bed and instead of being woken by her, she stayed silent and did not move. She also did not come down for breakfast, instead of herding me downstairs. For the second time in the last week or so, suddenly convinced she was going to die. However, after an hour or so she came into my study, and sat on my lap and looked bright as a button, before falling immediately asleep on me. I spoke to Lorraine and we thought the trip to the vets would be too stressful for her, as she wasn't in any distress. After having been out from noon till seven, she seemed completely fine this evening, and her and Brian greeted me on arrival as normal. The mysteries of cats.  Otherwise, off to Kew to get my teeth looked at. I have had to cancel my last two appointments. To make sure I got there on time, I left early. I had a dream journey -- all trains where they should be on the way up, and I found myself ...

Up hideously early to go to the dentist in London. Arrived at icy Seaford station at 06:50, but there was no train for over an hour -- either as a hangover from the strike yesterday, and later this week or the icy rails or both. There was no way I would make my appointment on time. Gah. I had to cancel the  appointment and sheepishly blame the trains. Home again, I took Lorraine a cup of tea up and decided make an early start on the concepting work for mes amis in Paris, plus writing the copy for the latest podcast which was uploaded today and featured an interview Robin had with Matthew Stewart, plus bloopers and other general banter. At my desk an overnight rejection from the agency in New York. No surprise there.  Working all day, but a very happy day. Sent the copy that Tim Relf had written for his bit about Planet Poetry in Poetry News. Lorraine up early and excitedly. A man came shortly after the sun rose, to assemble the glasshouse in the garden. He had driven from Nor...

All plans went awry. Maureen phoned to say that Pat wasn't able to move this morning. Lorraine set off almost immediately -- we suspected he had had a stroke. The paramedics had arrived shortly after Lorraine arrived in Ashford. Pat had a strange rash. By the end of the evening they said that he had pneumonia, and they were continuing investigations, but put in a cannula for antibiotics and paracetamol. Obviously everyone rather shaken. I spoke to Lorraine and Maureen during the day -- but Pat apparently cracking jokes and in good spirits.  Before she left, Lorraine had been baking loaves and so on, and after she left talking to her on the phone we realised they had been on the wrong setting, so I had to put them back in and monitor. Miraculously the bread was fine at the end. I biffed any idea of doing some writing this morning, and also decided to cancel seeing Keith after the dentist in case I had to zoom off to Ashford.  After the excitements of the morning I had miscalcul...